How does Satan get in your head so easily?

Of course, sin opens the door for him.

But...

He's in your head way more often than when you sin.

So, how does he do it?

How does he get to you so easily?

Well, he's really good at stirring up emotions.

It turns out that emotions overpower the still small whisperings of the spirit about a million to one.

So...

He doesn't have to get you to sin

in order for you to not hear the spirit.

He just has to get you

mad

sad

frustrated

upset

irritated

or annoyed.

You get the point.

The emotion rises up inside you, and suddenly it's all you can think about.

Sneaky, huh.

In this week's episode, I talk all about this and about what you can do to protect yourself from Satan's trickly little stirring stick.

Shame is nasty.

You mess up, you know it,

and your brain says

you're a failure.

Failures are garbage,

so, you must be worthless.

Yuck.

Satan loves shame.

It's probably his favorite tool.

But it's a lie.

Sometimes the most valuable growth we have

comes from our biggest mistakes.

We sit there and think about how horrible it is that we can't get it together and probably never will.

Heaven sees the mistake,

shows us the lesson,

and says,

"You're not in trouble.

Here's what you need to know.

Pick up the lesson,

keep walking,

you're going to be fine."

So, whatever you're beating yourself up about this week, let me relay a message to you:

You're not in trouble.

Pick up the lesson,

keep walking.

You're going to be fine.

Simplify for Sanity PDF and Challenge: https://www.innerstrength.me/simplifypdf

Everyone expects so much of you.

Because you're a good person,

you tend to do your best not to let them down.

It's human nature.

But then this tricky thing happens.

Sometimes...

okay most times...

God asks us to do hard things.

We start doing them...

and then it gets hard.

It looks like there is no way we can succeed on our own.

Did the analysis,

definitely not qualified.

And then fear of

what people will think

creeps in.

Before we know it,

we're desperately trying

NOT TO FAIL

instead of trusting God

to help us succeed.

My brain does that fear thing way too often.

But here's the truth:

You will always fall short

when your motivation is

fear instead of faith.

Why?

Because your brain is trying to figure out if you can handle it based on what your eyes see and your brain knows.

It leaves God out of the equation.

So, in the moment when you know you aren't enough,

it feels impossible to trust God's promises more than the evidence in front of your eyes.

It's a struggle Joseph Smith struggled with, too.

In this episode, I talk about the life-changing lessons he learned from one of the biggest mistakes he ever made.

And-

What each of us can learn about what to do when our logic says God's logic is wrong.

Simplify for Sanity PDF and Challenge: www.innerstrength.me/simplifypdf

How do you help kids through a faith crisis?

How do you respond when they question what they've always believed?

3 steps.

First: Don't be afraid of their doubts.

A faith crisis happens when we, or our kids, realize there is a gap in what we know.

It pushes us to find answers and to learn things we don't know.

A faith crisis is meant to INCREASE our FAITH.

When you believe that, the questions your kids have are exciting instead of scary.

30-day Simplify for Sanity Home and Life Organization Challenge: https://www.innerstrength.me/simplify

Sometimes it's easier to just do it yourself.

Why?

Because you'll do it "right."

But what about when heaven asks you to do something you know you're not qualified to do?

I'm pretty sure that's what happened when heaven called me to be a mom.

Qualified?

No.

Made mistakes?

I can't count that high.

And then when heaven asked me to serve in my church calling?

Definitely not qualified.

Do other people know I'm not qualified?

Unless they're in a coma, probably.

So...

Why did the Lord call me to do those things anyway?

 2 reasons.

Reason 1: He needs me to realize I need him. Nothing does that better than being in over your head.

Reason 2: Like a painter has his favorite brushes, Heavenly Father uses the weak things of the world to do His mighty works.

So next time your brain tells you you're messing up way too much, remind your brain that you are the paintbrush. The skill lies with the artist.

And his masterpiece,

my friend,

is YOU.

Simplify for Sanity Challenge Scholarship: https://www.innerstrength.me/win

This year I ordered Christmas online.

Scroll, click, on my doorstep.

It's hard to believe it's that easy.

I remember waking up at 3 or 4am on Black Friday to go stand in line and freeze to death outside a store to get a deal on Christmas gifts.

This year I ordered half of the gifts from my bed.

Wow.

This week one question has been on my mind:

What do I want from heaven this year?

I knew what my kids wanted...

because they talked about it...

and because they wrote a list!

Did you write your list?

What do you truly want

to become this year?

What do you want

to know this year?

Please ask.

Because Heavenly Father loves

to give good gifts to his children.

In this week's episode, I talk about the promise from a prophet to you and me that is ready for pickup in 2025.

Time to place your order.

Simplify for Sanity Challenge Scholarship: https://www.innerstrength.me/win

You've seen the timelines, worried about disasters and rumors of wars.

Why do the signs actually matter?

There is a really important reason I had never thought about.

Will the Savior come in 5 years?

I don't know.

I hope.

But there is something so much more important you need to know about why those signs exist.

PS- Did you hear about the scholarships I'm giving away? I explain it in the last few minutes of this week's podcast. The Simplify for Sanity Challenge starts in January. I've been working hard on creating this course, and I am so excited for it to simplify your life as much as it has mine!

Each week I'll share with you powerful insights that will make simplifying your stuff, your life, and your mind SO MUCH EASIER! You have better things to do with your time than clean up stuff and fight an endless to-do list. If you're ready to stress less in 2025, you do not want to miss this!!!

Take 30 seconds to fill out a scholarship app and share it with a friend. If you'd rather purchase the course instead, I'll be sending out that info soon! It's going to be sooo worth it!!! See you there!

Simplify for Sanity Challenge Scholarships:

If Heavenly Father came to your gift exchange, what would He give YOU?

I think that looking under the Christmas tree and finding a gift from Heavenly Father would be the coolest thing!

In this week's podcast, I talk about the gifts of God.

What gifts does He actually give?

Moroni talks about the gifts of God, how to get them, and the amazing reason the entire Book of Mormon was even written.

Newsletter:

I can check off things on my to-do list...

but there's always more to do.

It feels that way with spiritual things, too.

I need to call that neighbor...

and spend more time with my daughter...

and call my grandma...

and do family history...

and, and, and.

It seems I always fall short.

Moroni asked,

"How is it possible that ye can

lay hold of every good thing?"

First, intent matters.

Moroni says that if we do something good just to check the box-

but our heart isn't in it

(without real intent),

it's like we didn't even do it.

That tells me that our intentions matter...a lot.

Step 1: Want to be good and do good.

You've got that one!

In this week's episode, I talk about He intends to get you the rest of the way.

It would take a miracle, you say?

No problem.

That's kind've His thing.

Inner Strength Email Boost opt-in: https://www.innerstrength.me/faith

I did not plan to stay up until 2am.

I also didn't plan to be a cranky momma by 4pm the next day. 😩

But there I was.

Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn.

Then what?

Did you fail?

The scriptures say that if all men had been like Moroni, the very powers of Hell would tremble and shake.

Sounds like he's anything but a failure.

And yet...

Life took an unexpected

and very hard

turn for him.

I imagine he felt all alone

and tired

and unsure what to do next.

Ever been there?

In this week's episode, I share the 3 things Moroni did when his life took an unexpected turn.

Those same 3 things helped me go from cranky momma to back on top.

I hope they help you too!